Kendrapara, Jan. 4: Justice has finally been delivered to a victim, who was raped seven years ago when she was a minor.

Kendrapara chief judicial magistrate’s court has sentenced a 28-year-old man to seven-year rigorous imprisonment while convicting him for commission of the offence.

Chief judicial magistrate Ambuj Mohan Das held Satrughna Jena guilty of raping the girl and ordered the convict to undergo seven years of rigorous imprisonment. The convict was also imposed Rs 5,000 penalty for the offence. Failing to pay the sum would enhance the convict’s sentence by another six months.

The culprit had raped the girl on January 4, 2006, at Sapalanga village in the Rajkanika police station jurisdiction. The crime had been committed when the victim was alone in her house.

On the basis of circumstantial evidence, medical examination findings and cross-examination of 12 witnesses, the court has pronounced the verdict, prosecution counsel Suresh Nayak said.

“We are happy. But, we would have been happier had the quantum of punishment been more. Still we have faith in the judiciary as the guilty has been punished for his wrongdoing,” said a close relative of the girl.